Politicians and intellectuals have started a petition on Facebook for the nomination of Professor Vili Lilkov for Mayor of Sofia. Vili Lilkov is a former member of the Sofia Municipal Council. He served as deputy chairman of the Sofia Municipal Council from 1999 to 2014, said Ivan Sotirov, a former MP from the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS). 

“Right-leaning people and the democratic community should vote for something real, rather than choosing the lesser evil", Ivan Sotirov said. Professor Vili Lilkov, who is a physics professor and author of a number of public policy books, told the BTA that he would give an answer on Monday, July 17. Vili Lilkov said that the petition took him by surprise and that he would need to assess the support and his chances in the mayoral elections.